Even without Derrick Rose, Chicago looked like a playoff team in the putrid Eastern Conference, but a 3-13 slide has dropped the Bulls to 10th in the East. Normally, too much is made of the NBA draft lottery; with 14 teams in the lottery, you often have to win it, or at least land in the top three, to get a true difference maker.

But the Bulls have often gotten lucky in the lottery. They had a 1.7 percent chance to get Rose in 2008, when they moved up from No. 9 to No. 1. When they moved up two spots to No. 1 in 1999, they got two-time All-Star Elton Brand. When they supposedly had bad luck and moved down three spots in 2001, all it cost them was a chance at No. 1-overall bust Kwame Brown.

And this is supposed to be the deepest draft in years. Any of the top five could go No. 1 in an average year. This is the year to fail on the court and win in the draft.

Open, not open

If Alshon Jeffery (1,265 yard) is for real, Jeffery and Brandon Marshall (1,185 yards) could make the Bears a Super Bowl threat for several years. But when I see Jeffery, I sometimes see a young Dan Marino. Before the back-shoulder throw became popular, Marino repeatedly threw slightly behind covered receivers Mark Duper and Mark Clayton for big gains. Defenders were scared to turn and look for the ball. Marino averaged 41 TD passes in his first three full years as a starter, but topped out at 30 in his final 13 seasons when defenses adjusted.

Jeffery has been spectacular this season, repeatedly outjumping defenders for the ball, but he seldom "looks" open. He needs to improve that. But if he does, he could be the greatest receiver in Bears' history.

Packers in charge

Aaron Rodgers' wanted to play last week in Dallas. The Packers said no then and no again this week, even though they are two wins away from the playoffs. I can't say that's the right choice; only that Green Bay was right to make that choice and not leave it up to Rodgers, or even Rodgers and the doctors. The Bears rushed Jay Cutler back as fast as they could, and he got hurt again. The Bulls did it with Derrick Rose a couple of years ago and he got hurt three more times, then wouldn't return at all for a year, then got hurt again this year.